Not Applicable
The present invention relates to a flexible multipurpose convenience bag for storing a product, such as a food product, for allowing said product to be cleaned or rinsed by pouring water into said bag, and/or for blanching, boiling, cooking, frying etc. said product.
From published international patent application WO96/13440 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,093 a bag is known. Reference is made to the above published patent application and the above US patent is further hereby incorporated in the present specification by reference.
According to the above-mentioned US patent and published international patent application, a vegetable draining and storage bag of the above-mentioned type is known which bag is produced from two foil sheets of rectangular configuration which sheets are joined together, e.g. through weldings, along the bottom and the two opposite side edges of the bag. A further weld is established extending from a position above the bottom of the bag parallel with one of the edge welds of the bag for providing a tubular channel establishing communication between a separator chamber defined at the bottom of the bag through a number of weld seams defining apertures and separating the bottom separator chamber from the major inner chamber of the bag constituting a chamber for receiving the product such as the food product.
The bag is used by arranging the product such as the food product within the major inner chamber of the bag and pouring water onto the product causing the water to flow from the major inner chamber to the separator chamber from which chamber the water may be expelled by tilting the bag to the one side and causing the water to be expelled through the tubular channel extending from the bottom of the bag to the top of the bag along one of the edges of the bag. After the rinsing of the product and expelling of the water from the bag, the product contained within the bag may be further dried by swinging the bag around causing the product contained within the bag to exposure to a high centrifugal force causing the water to be slung off the product and forced into the bottom separator chamber from which the water may be expelled through the tubular channel.
Although this prior art bag has turned out to be successful and allows the user to clean e.g. vegetables in a low cost disposable bag and in a centrifugal separation process dry the vegetable products by centrifugal separating the water droplets from the product and thereafter expel the excess water through the outlet tube along the one edge of the bag, the bag has turned out to be on the one hand limited as to its functionality and on the other hand requires the use of a fairly large amount of foil material for providing a container for the storing of the product such as a food product. It has turned out that the commercial version of the product, 20% of the foil material is used for establishing the separator chamber and the tubular channel. Further as far as the functionality of the bag is concerned, the bag can apart from storing a product only be used in the above-described one operation involving the filling of the bag with water to a certain extent and then expelling the water before carrying out the centrifugal separation, however in certain instances, the amount of water which is receivable within the bag is not capable of establishing a complete cleaning or rinsing of the product contained within the bag therefore necessitating the repetition of the process of first filling the water into the bag, manipulating the product within the bag and expelling the water from the bag and then repeating the filling of water into the bag, manipulating and expelling steps several time.
An object of the present invention is to provide a multipurpose convenience bag of the above-mentioned type which bag allows for on the one hand a more efficient utilisation of the foil material still providing a multipurpose convenience bag and on the other hand allows for additional functionalities including the possibility of performing a continuous or long lasting rinsing operation without repeating steps involving filling, manipulating, expelling and refilling etc. and further allowing the bag to be used for preparing the product, e.g. by blanching, boiling, cooking, frying etc. the product, while the product is contained within the bag.
A particular advantage of the present invention relates to the fact that the multipurpose convenience bag according to the present invention may be used in a rinsing process allowing the user to carry out the rinsing operation continuously without necessitating rearranging the bag, closing off the water supply and expelling water.
A further advantage of the present invention relates to the fact that the multipurpose convenience bag according to the present invention may be used for additional purposes apart from allowing the product contained in or stored in the bag to be rinsed further allowing the product to be prepared e.g. in a blanching, a boiling, a cooking or a frying operation which may be carried out after the bag has been used for storing purpose exclusively or alternatively after the bag has been used for the storage and rinsing purposes. The product which may be stored, rinsed and/or prepared in the bag may as pointed out above be constituted by vegetable or meat products including without being limited to the below examples potatoes, spinach, cabbage types including cauliflower, sprouts, cabbage, red cabbage, spring cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, celery, leeks, broccoli, pork, turkey, beef, chicken, duck, lamb etc., the product or products in question being present in their entity or in chopped or particulate state.
A further feature of the present invention relates to the fact that the multipurpose convenience bag according to the present invention may be converted from a bag of the above described type into a sieve or strainer structure or alternatively in specific embodiments of the bag according to the present invention be converted into a two step sieve or strainer structure allowing the user to utilise the bag for a separation process in which the product is separated into coarse and finer constituents.
The above object, the above advantages and the above feature are along with numerous other objects, features and advantages which will be evident from the below detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention be obtained by a multipurpose convenience bag according to the present invention comprising:
two sheet-shaped foil layers having substantially identical geometrical configurations and arranged in substantially coplanar and coextensive relationship, the foil layers together defining an outer periphery including a top, a bottom and opposite sides,
a first peripheral joint extending along the bottom,
second peripheral joints extending along the major parts of the sides except for at least one area of one of the sides, the area dividing the second peripheral joint of the one side into a top part and a bottom part,
the first peripheral joint and the second peripheral joints together define an inner chamber within the bag,
at least one separation joint extending from the top part of the second peripheral joint of the one side and extending towards the first peripheral joint and dividing the inner chamber into a top chamber and a bottom chamber
the top defining a top opening communicating with the top chamber
the area of the one side defining a side opening communicating with the bottom chamber and
the separation joint establishing a restriction of communication between the top chamber and the bottom chamber for preventing the product when received within the top chamber from being transferred to the bottom chamber so as to allow the product received within the top chamber to be separated from liquid contained within the top chamber or supplied to the top chamber through the top opening and allowing the liquid to be expelled from the top chamber into the bottom chamber through the restriction of communication between the top chamber and the bottom chamber and further allowing the liquid to be expelled from the bottom chamber through the side opening.
According to the teachings of the present invention, the separation between the top chamber and the bottom chamber which top chamber constitutes an inner chamber for receiving the product such as a food product and which bottom chamber constitutes a receptor chamber for receiving the liquid separated from the product is established by means of the separation joint which extends from the top part of the second peripheral joint of the one side. The separation joint is positioned in a sloping orientation extending from the top part of the second peripheral joint of the one side towards the first peripheral joint thereby providing the transition between the bottom chamber and at the same time delimiting the upper boundary of the bottom chamber for guiding the liquid or water to be expelled from the bottom chamber to the side opening.
Although the bag is described and defined comprising two foil layers, the bag may on the one hand comprise additional outer or inner layers constituting separation or closing layers or outer protective or closing off layers and on the other hand be produced from a single foil layer which has been folded for establishing two oppositely positioned foil layers constituting the at least two foil sheet-shaped foil layers of the bag according to the present invention.
As stated above, the multipurpose bag according to the present invention may be used for at least three purposes, namely storing, rinsing and/or preparing the product contained within the bag and in the below description, the utilisation of the bag for the purpose of storing and rinsing the product has been described and discussed in greater details still the ability of the bag allowing the liquid being in most instances rinsing water which is drained from the product and poured from the bag through the at least one side opening may also constitute a liquid which has been produced within the bag through the preparation of the product contained within the bag, e.g. a liquid such as a fetty substance or water drained from the product through the operation of preparing the product, e.g. in a microoven boiling or cooking operation or in a frying or cooking operation within a conventional oven. In the below description, the liquid to be separated from the product contained within the water is unless otherwise described referred to as rinsing water exclusively.
The position of the side opening further allows the rinsing operation to be carried out as a continuous operation having the water expelled or poured onto the product received within the top chamber of the bag as the water simply flows through the top chamber causing the rinsing of the product received therein to the bottom chamber through the restriction and raises to a level corresponding to the height of the side opening above the bottom and is expelled through the side opening. Consequently, a continuous rinsing operation may be carried out and at the same time due to the elimination of the separate tubular channel at the side of the bag as disclosed in the above published international patent application, the foil material is more efficiently utilised as the expelling opening constituted by the side opening is positioned in the bottom chamber rather than at the end of a separate tubular channel.
The bag according to the present invention may be implemented in numerous different configurations including asymmetrical and symmetrical configurations. According to the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bag is preferably of a substantially symmetrical configuration having two separation joints extending from the second peripheral joints and converging towards one another for providing at least one opening between the two separation joints constituting the restriction of communication between the top and the bottom chamber. Further, according to the present preferred, symmetrical configuration of the bag, the bag preferably has two side openings at respective sides of the bag allowing the bag to be operated as a symmetrical element which as will be described below will be used in an operation of tilting to the one side or to the other side for expelling water during the rinsing and the draining operation.
Although the bag according to the present invention may per se be implemented in any geometrical configuration and from any foil configuration, the two foils are preferably for obtaining a rational production and providing an easily handable product made from two rectangular foils or from a single rectangular foil which is folded along a transversal fold for establishing the two sheet-shaped foil layers as the transversal foil defines or constitutes the first peripheral joint. The materials to be used for the bag have to be biological acceptable and are preferably constituted by plastics materials which further advantageously are of a type allowed to be contacted with foodstuffs, e.g. polymer materials such as PP or PE, e.g. LDPE, MDPE or HDPE.
The bag according to the present invention should be configurated in a size allowing the bag to be on the one hand manipulated by the user and on the other hand for receiving the product and allowing the product to be properly cleaned or rinsed. According to the presently preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the bag preferably has a maximum length between the top and bottom of the order of 20-100 cm, such as 30-70 cm, e.g. 40-60 cm, preferably approximately 50 cm, and a maximum width of the order of 10-60 cm, preferably of the order of 20-40 cm, such as approximately 30 cm.
The side opening characteristic of the present invention may as will be understood be located in any position along the one side of the bag. Preferably the side opening is located at a position between approximately 0 and 70%, such as between 20 and 60%, approximately between 10 and 50% above the bottom and the side opening defining a width along the side of the order of 1-25%, e.g. 2-10%, preferably approximately 5% or approximately 10% of the length of the side.
The side opening may according to alternative embodiments be constituted or established by an unjoined area of the two foils as the top part and the bottom part of the second peripheral joint of the one side of the bag is simply not linked to one another defining or establishing the unjoined area or alternatively be established by a cut through one of the foils or alternatively and preferably both foils such as a linear cut or a similar circular cut providing a highly advantageous technique of producing the bag.
The bag may according to alternative techniques be implemented by welding or gluing/adhesion techniques as the first and second peripheral joints and the separation joint or separation joints may be constituted by weld seams or alternatively be constituted by glued/adhered joints or further alternatively be constituted by combined welded and glued/adheres joints.
The weld seams which are preferably used for the establishment of the first and second peripheral joints and the separation joint or separation joints may be constituted by solid line weld seams such as rectilinear or curved weld seams or combined rectilinear and curved weld seams or by weld seam sets including individual rectilinear or otherwise configurated parallel weld seam segments or parallel rows of dot, circular, elliptical, quadratic or any otherwise configurated individual weld seams.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the bag according to the present invention, the bag may be converted from the two-chamber structure into a sieve or strainer structure as the bag may include indications or generator such as cut or weakening lines for the separation of a bottom part of the bag from the remaining part of the bag for allowing the bottom part to be cut off or torn off the remaining part of the bag.
The above further advantageous embodiment of the bag according to the present invention the bag being a multipurpose bag including indications or generators for the separation of the bottom part of the bag from the remaining part may apart from allowing the bag to be used as a sieve or strainer structure also advantageously be used in an operation involving blanching or cooking a product such as a vegetable product as will be described in greater details below with reference to the drawings within a pot as the bag may be hung in an upright position within the pot during the blanching or cooking operation and after the finalising of the blanching or cooking operation, the bag is simply raised from the pot allowing the water to be separated from the vegetable products or any other food products contained within the bag whereupon the product is simply expelled from the top opening of the bag into a dish or container to be used for serving, eating or storing the product.
In the use of the bag as a storage bag, the bag is preferably implemented in accordance with an embodiment in which at least one of the two foil layers comprises an extension at the top thereof for providing a turned-over flap allowing the top opening of the bag to be closed by means of the turned-over flap and subsequently re-opened.
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the bag according to the present invention, a further joint is provided in the bottom chamber of the bag constituting a guide for the guiding of water from the restriction or communication towards the side opening for preventing the water flushing through the bag from tearing the bag apart at the separation joint or at the first peripheral joint due to excessive exposure to water pressure.
According to a particular feature of the bag according to the present invention, the separation joint defines a multiplicity of individual water transmission restrictions preventing the transmission of water from the top chamber to the bottom chamber unless the water contained within the top chamber be exposed to a force exceeding the gravitational force thereby providing a bag which prevents any spilling of water through transmission of water from the top chamber to the bottom chamber until the water is pressed through the transmission restrictions which is easily accomplished by swinging the bag around generating a large centrifugal force.
The foils from which the bag according to the present invention is made may be constituted by continuous or perforated foils or alternatively or additionally transparent or non-transparent foils. According to a particular advantageous feature of an advantageous embodiment of the bag according to the present invention, one or both of the two sheet-shaped foil layers may be provided with microperforations. In this context, the expression microperforations means perforations of a size allowing steam to evaporate through the perforations and preferably preventing water from permeating through the perforations or at least restricting the permeation of water through the perforations. The microperforations may have any configuration such as circular or linear segment configuration, e.g. having an opening corresponding to a circular perforation having a diameter of less than 1 mm such as 0.1-2 mm, e.g. 0.5-1 mm, preferably approximately 1 mm. The number of micropreforations may vary still preferably provide the access of air to the product contained within the bag and allow for the evaporation of steam and moisture from the product contained within the bag thereby increasing the time of storage during which the product may be contained within the bag without being deteriorated through excessive exposure to water. It has turned out that an advantageous number of microperforations is established provided the number being of the above size is present in an amount varying between 2 and 2,000 microperforations/cm2 such as 5-1,000 microperforations/cm2, preferably approximately 5-50 microperforations/cm2. The microperforations may be provided having identical or different dimensions and shape and may be located or positioned in any part of the bag preferably in the top part of the bag, e.g. in a pattern covering the major top part of the bag or simply within the top chamber of the bag.
The ability of venting the product contained within the bag during storing the product within the bag, e.g. in a refrigerator and allowing air to be vented to and from the product may alternatively be established by means of one or more holes in one or both foils of the bag. The hole or holes may be established preferably at the top half of the bag for establishing communication between the top chamber of the bag and the environments which hole or holes may further serve as gripping or hanging hole or holes for manipulating the bag and the product contained therein or alternatively for hanging the bag in the above described upright position in a pot while the product is blanched or cooked as described above. The hole or holes may have any configuration such as a circular configuration, a rectangular or square configuration, an elliptical configuration or a polygonal configuration or any combination of the above or any other geometric shape or configuration. The hole or holes may have a size corresponding to the size of a circle having a diameter of e.g. 10 mm such as a diameter between 2 and 50 mm, e.g. 5 and 25 mm. Provided more than a single hole be provided, the holes may be arranged in a single row or alternatively in two or three rows preferably at the top of the bag juxtaposed the top opening.
Although the entire bag may according to the above advantageous embodiment including microperforations be implemented from a foil including microperforations, it is, however, preferred that the microperforations be located above the at least one separation joint exclusively.
The present invention further relates to the use of the bag according to the invention for for rinsing a product contained within the bag, and/or for storing said product within the bag, and/or for preparing by blanching, boiling, cooking, frying etc. the product contained within said bag.